NFL Analysis
6/26/24
9 min read
Ranking the Top 10 Pass Rushers In NFL History
The NFL has evolved many times since its creation, and offenses have always done their best to overcome transcendent defensive players. Whether the NFL is in a pass-happy phase or more focused on the ground game, nothing has stopped elite pass rushers from making their mark.
Because the defensive line requires the highest degree of athleticism, it's arguably the second-most important position in football.
We're ranking the top 10 pass rushers in NFL history. Whether they played defensive tackle, defensive end, or outside linebacker, these difference-makers were undeniable forces whenever they touched the field. Many of these players directly influenced their era and contributed to Super Bowl winners.
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Top 10 Pass Rushers in NFL History
We used a blend of statistical metrics and the eye test to narrow down an incredibly deep position to only 10. Balancing a player's peak and longevity was the toughest task, but we'll detail how we broke some close calls for each individual.
Toughest guy in #NFLHistory?
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) January 26, 2018
Former @RamsNFL HOF DE Jack Youngblood played through the 1980 playoffs, Super Bowl and #ProBowl WITH A BROKEN LEG.
Happy birthday, Jack! pic.twitter.com/CrP1k7ghNL
10. Jack Youngblood
Drafted into the NFL when only 14 games were played until he was midway into his career in 1978, Jack Youngblood hit his stride in his third season with the Los Angeles Rams. From 1973 through 1979, the 6-foot-4 pass-rusher racked up five first-team All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowls. He led the NFL twice in sacks in that stretch and is still ranked sixth all-time in sacks.
It's amazing to think he could've produced even more. He had "only" nine sacks entering Year 3, didn't play a longer schedule in seven seasons, and retired somewhat earlier than some of his peers at 34 years old.
Youngblood was even more than an incredibly productive player, though. He was known as a hellacious presence who often played through injuries, and he set the tone for the Rams throughout his tenure.
9. Derrick Thomas
There have been countless tragedies throughout the NFL's history, and Derrick Thomas is far from a footnote among them. He passed away after his 11th season, having just turned 33. But he left an unforgettable legacy with his blend of speed and power.
The former Alabama star gave an immediate identity to the Kansas City Chiefs' defense as a rookie, churning out 10 sacks as a rookie and winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. He earned nine straight Pro Bowl appearances and two first-team All-Pro nominations.
Thomas, the franchise's leader in sacks, safeties, forced fumbles, and recoveries, also famously owns the single-game sack record with seven. He finished the 1990 season with an NFL-leading 20 sacks and produced at least eight in all but his final year. Few players have his blend of forced turnovers and sack-per-game numbers.
8. J.J. Watt
J.J. Watt was the first major beneficiary of Pro Football Focus's creation. Watt quickly became an unstoppable presence for Houston, racking up 68.5 sacks in a four-year stretch from 2012 through 2015. The obvious sack totals aside, Watt essentially broke PFF's grading and charting system because he constantly beat his blocker and created pressure on quarterbacks.
With five All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods, making the All-2010s Team, three Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and leading the NFL twice in sacks and three times in tackles for loss, Watt was as distinguished as anyone throughout his peak. Unfortunately, his body broke down during his prime years, which cost him time on the field. Watt played more than eight games only three times from 2016 through 2022.
Nevertheless, his blend of incredible speed off the snap, a deep move set, quick reaction time, and powerful 6-foot-5, 288-pound frame was far too much for most blockers. Few edge rushers have matched his NFL Combine performances, and that athleticism was the foundation for an all-time career.
7. Alan Page
The Minnesota Vikings have boasted some of the best defensive tackles in NFL history, but none was finer than Alan Page. A nine-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro, the 1971 NFL MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year was a menacing presence. Lawrence Taylor is the only other defensive MVP in NFL history.
His 12-year stint as the face of the Purple People Eaters was fantastic, and he racked up each of those accolades along the way. He was so good that his four-year run with Chicago produced a second career that most defenders would love to have.
Page produced 40 sacks in 58 games with Chicago despite being 33 years old when he was dealt there midway through the 1978 season. He anchored Chicago's top-10 defense for the next three years after arriving.
The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder played to his size, winning with extreme speed, flexibility, and leverage. He was as close to Aaron Donald as we'd ever seen until the latter emerged years later.
#PFHOF Class of 2016.
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) December 21, 2020
160.0 sacks (3rd all-time).
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.
Rest In Peace, Kevin Greene. pic.twitter.com/6hXj8HBauZ
6. Kevin Greene
No other player on this list has greatly impacted four franchises like Kevin Greene. The longtime Rams great totaled 72.5 sacks in eight seasons with Los Angeles, including three seasons with at least 13 finishes. He earned one Pro Bowl in that span before enjoying an incredible second half of his career.
He joined Pittsburgh for three seasons and promptly amassed 35.5 sacks and two All-Pro nods before jumping to Carolina and San Francisco for one year and rejoining Carolina for two more campaigns. Greene became a pass-rush specialist during this time, surpassing 10 sacks in all but one season after turning 30. That included leading the NFL with 14.5 sacks in Carolina at 34 and then reaching 15 at 36.
With a highlight reel filled with examples of a fast, relentless presence, Greene was the motor of many successful defensive units. Only three players have more career sacks than his total of 160.
5. Aaron Donald
Despite the countless concerns about how a 6-foot-1, 280-pound defensive tackle could hold up in the NFL, Aaron Donald was unstoppable until he retired this offseason. The 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro accomplished almost everything possible throughout his career. A Super Bowl champion, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and former Defensive Rookie of the Year, the only awards Donald didn't land were Super Bowl MVP and league MVP.
It's safe to say Donald could've earned those as well. In 2018, he shattered the record for penetrating tackles, leading the NFL with 20.5 sacks. That came in the middle of an eight-year run in which he never had fewer than eight sacks. There were only two seasons he didn't get first-team All-Pro honors.
His formula for success featured his consistent speed off the snap, which allowed him to get into the laps of blockers and overwhelm them with short-area quickness and strength. His remarkable impact in a time where athleticism and data are constantly peaking only enhances his level of dominance.
4. Deacon Jones
We're going way back with Deacon Jones, but the original star pass-rusher can't be forgotten or ignored. The Rams legend wrecked the NFL pre- and post-merger, leading the league in sacks five times. From 1964 through 1969, he averaged more than 19 sacks per year.
It's unsurprising that the Hall of Famer earned a spot on the All-1960s Team, eight Pro Bowls, and five All-Pro spots. Video of the 6-foot-5, 272-pounder was like watching an adult throw teenagers aside with brute strength and fervor. He finished second in 1967's MVP race behind Johnny Unitas and ahead of Gale Sayers.
He led the NFL in career sacks until Reggie White beat his record 23 years after Jones retired. It's hard to understate that level of play. Jones had only 18.5 sacks in the final four years of his career as his body broke down, so it's possible he might've bested some of his final totals had he benefitted from improved technology and amenities that came decades later.
Happy 58th birthday to the NFL’s all-time sack leader Bruce Smith!
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) June 18, 2021
⭐️ 1st overall pick in 1985 @NFLDraft
⭐️ 2x Defensive Player of the Year
⭐️ 200 career sacks
⭐️ #PFHOF Class of 2009 pic.twitter.com/kemv2Bl6OP
3. Bruce Smith
Of course, the all-time leader in sacks is one of the best players in the league's history. The former No. 1 overall pick had a fine rookie season with 6.5 sacks but then ripped off two runs of five or more years with at least 10 sacks. He peaked in 1990 with 19 sacks, proving to be the defensive engine that drove the Buffalo Bills to the brink of a Super Bowl in three straight years.
Smith overwhelmed blockers by balancing his attack with a blend of speed and power moves. He was as likely to race around a tackle as he was to get under their pads and toss them aside. His play earned 11 Pro Bowls, eight All-Pro nods, a spot on the 1980s and 1990s All-NFL Teams, and two Defensive Player of the Year Awards.
He spent 15 years in Buffalo before heading to Washington for four seasons. Even from age 37 through 40, Smith still had solid play left in him. He never led the NFL in sacks in a single season, but his remarkable consistency was undeniable.
2. Lawrence Taylor
The title of best pass rusher of all time is basically a coin flip between Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White. Taylor revolutionized the outside linebacker position, proving to be far too explosive and violent to be contained. He was transcendent, and the fact that he ranks ninth all-time in sacks shouldn't undermine his impact on the game.
Upon landing with the New York Giants from North Carolina, Taylor was an immediate star. The No. 2 pick in the 1981 NFL Draft, Taylor won Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year with 9.5 sacks. He finished his career nabbing an NFL MVP Award, two more Defensive Player of the Year nods, 10 Pro Bowls, and eight All-Pro nominations.
Although he didn't have the longevity of some peers, totaling 18 sacks in his final three seasons before retiring at 34, Taylor's peak might be the best we've ever seen from any position.
1. Reggie White
Averaging an incredible 13 sacks a season, including a final year with only 5.5 sacks after taking the entire previous season off, Reggie White's career had historic peaks and longevity. A superstar with the Philadelphia Eagles, totaling 124 sacks in eight years, including 21-sack and 18-sack seasons, White became the best NFL free-agency signing ever when he inked a deal with the Green Bay Packers at 31 years old.
At that point, White was supposed to be on the downside of his career, coming off six All-Pro seasons, but he was far from done. White spent six seasons in Green Bay, earning another two first-team spots. His 68.5 sacks in six seasons were punctuated by his final year, earning the 1998 Defensive Player of the Year Award with 16 sacks at 37.
Smith certainly earned the all-time sacks record, but he also needed four additional seasons to top White's career mark of 198. White's high-end impact throughout his career is the blueprint for how the position is judged historically, and there's no better indicator of being the greatest of all time at one's craft.
